Last Saturday, 09/26/09, the Philippines was hit by a typhoon. “Ondoy” – sounds like a name of an innocent little boy, but people will remember that name differently.

It was a not-so-regular Saturday for me. I have decided to just stay at home since I didn’t have much sleep for the entire week. I left the office in Makati around 6AM (yup, coming from the night shift) and arrived home a little before 7AM. It was raining all right, everything seems normal, so I slept… I woke up around 2PM and was shocked to see what’s in the news.

FLOOD. The roads turned into rivers. According to the reports, people from different areas in Metro Manila were already on their rooftops waiting to be rescued. There’s no flood in our area, but I feel for those who lost their loved ones, homes, and properties. My heart is crushed.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…” Psalms 91:2-4

Our local church sent a message that the weekend services are cancelled and that they are opening their doors to help the ‘Ondoy’ victims. Mom and I waited for the nearby mall to open so we could buy some stuff to donate. When we arrived at church, we were amazed to see the outpour of love from the church members. Donations kept coming in. We wanted to volunteer but we don’t know how until one of the committee members listed something on the whiteboard… “NEEDS: Van”

Mom and I looked at each other and smiled. Coincidence? We told the pastor immediately that we have a van available for them to use. He asked if we have a driver, and with a wide smile, I pointed to my mom and said, “siya po” (she’ll drive).

We started to load the van with relief goods around 3PM (Sunday) and along with 4 other vehicles we went to Marikina to distribute the goods.

It felt so great to give. I feel so much alive. Thank you Lord. This is truly one weekend I’ll never forget. I haven’t heard a word from some friends yet. I hope they’re okay. Pray everyone.

“Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.” Isaiah 59:1.

You too can help. Click here for the list of verified relief centers for Ondoy victims.

Let’s kick this off with an introduction… My name is Ros - just a commoner with a passion for photography, multimedia arts, music, and traveling.

I have been surrounded by a lot of positive influences this year – all had inspired me to create this blog. ‘Thought Bubbles and Rainbow-Colored Days’ is about bits and pieces of my day-to-day experiences, opinions, interests, and light-bulb moments.

Sweeeet! I just did my first post! yay!

PS: I gave in to a friend’s suggestion (thanks Eric!) … My multimedia gallery (www.shootandstyle.blogspot.com) is also under construction. Please do visit. l'm looking forward to your comments and suggestions! :)